Posted on 10/27/2006 8:31:27 PM PDT by neverdem
--snip--
He is also a conservative on nonfiscal matters, whose political views would put him at odds with many New Yorkers. In interviews and in this week’s debate, he has been extremely unimpressive, hardly the man whom voters would normally want to hire as the state’s chief fiscal officer and sole trustee of New York’s $140 billion pension fund.
But one of the main jobs of the comptroller is to make sure people who handle taxpayers’ money understand the very clear line between their personal expenditures and the public treasury. There is no way Mr. Hevesi can fulfill that vital role anymore.
Rather than choose between Mr. Hevesi and Mr. Callaghan, some political and civic leaders have called for Mr. Hevesi to resign, hoping that the political powers can then pick another candidate. While he could not be taken off the ballot, the public could presumably be told whom they would be getting if the departed comptroller won the election. That strategy smacks very much of the Albany political culture, in which almost anything can be papered over by a few powerful officials sitting down privately to make a deal. The public should choose between the candidates offered, and that means they should choose Mr. Callaghan.
If elected, we hope he avoids the political hacks and has-beens waving their résumés and chooses the all-important counsel, deputies and advisers for the pension funds from the rolls of the best and most thoughtful people available in New York State. We make this endorsement with some trepidation, but with a conviction that it is vital that voters take a stand against the curdled political culture in Albany. There have to be consequences for bad behavior — for political parties as well as individual politicians. We support Christopher Callaghan for New York comptroller.
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Thank you very much for the tip!
bump
Pigs are flying. The New York Times and Mayor Bloomberg have both turned thumbs down on Hevesi.
LOL...awesome...A Saratoga County Republican as Comptroller. I KNOW Callaghan never thought this would happen like this...
With the way things are going this year, I think he'll be the only republican elected to state office this year!
You're welcome.
Eliot Spitzer has no one to blame but himself (in addition to Hevesi) for the mess. He was told a long time ago about Hevesi's abuses and if he were doing his job as Attorney General he would have had it investigated promptly. But he never wanted to step on any Democratic toes (like Sandy Weill or Carl McCall).
I guess some things are even too much for the socialists at the Old York Crimes.
But that might have gotten in the way of his own ambitions, which is ALL spitzer cares about. he has no integrity whatsoever.
New York has a long tradition of having a Comptroller from a different party than the Governor. When Rocky was in, Democrats held the Comptroller's office. It was a Republican when Carey and Cuomo were governor. Now it's a Democrat. Maybe the Times figures that electing a Republican Comptroller helps their boy Spit.
Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.
This endorsement is a good thing. The Dems should throw Hevesi under the bus, but if even if they don't a Callahan win would be a nice bright spot in a very bleak election cycle.
Wow!
Can anyone cite the last time the NYT endorsed a Republican challenger over a rat incumbent? I'd really like to know. It can't be after 1932. Anybody know?
I don't know, but it's likely been rare, only when the dem is obviously rotten when it's late like this.
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